Thursday, December 3, 2020 - The Daily Cardinal

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Thursday, December 3, 2020

The politics of weed

Rain Gardens

+SCIENCE, page 9

+OPINION, page 5

Lawmakers fractured over COVID-19 relief

By Hope Karnopp STATE NEWS EDITOR

Assembly Republicans unveiled new COVID-19 legislation Tuesday that did not gain immediate support among Senate Republicans and prompted criticism from Democrats.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, announced the plan, which among other provisions, would require state employees to return to work by Jan. 31, according to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau analysis. Employees could provide a doctor’s note for an exemption until two months after a COVID19 vaccine becomes widely available. The provision does not apply to UW system employees.

The plan would also require teachers to instruct students from school buildings unless they submit an exemption. If passed, it would require a twothirds vote from school boards to extend virtual instruction, which would only last for two weeks at a time, and require payments of $371 pack to parents if instruction is virtual for half of the semester.

“Speaker Vos is willing to gamble with the lives of hardworking Wisconsinites in a brazen attempt to score political points. While essential workers protect our children and show up to staff pris-

ons, mental health facilities and hospitals, the Republican caucus went missing in action,” Executive Director of AFSCME Wisconsin Patrick Wycoff said in a press release. AFSCME Wisconsin is a union that represents public employees at the state, county and municipal level.

The proposal would also add significant powers to the Republican-controlled state budget committee, which saw a leadership shakeup after its co-chair Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, resigned Tuesday. It requires the state Department of Health Services to submit a COVID-19 distribution plan to the committee, which it could block, and gives the committee oversight over federal COVID-19 funding.

The proposal would also require UW System schools to offer students opportunities to gain course credit if they “assist Wisconsin in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic,” through eligible volunteer or work activities.

The package also seeks to double the number of public health workers responding to the pandemic, expand at-home rapid antigen tests and require the Department of Workforce Development to eliminate the backlog of unemployment insurance claims.

Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, called

the bill “politically driven” in a statement Tuesday.

“There are so many extremely politically divisive items in this legislation at a time when we need the opposite. Not only do Wisconsin Republicans not want to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, they want to put into law limits on local governments in their ability to respond in the way that works for their community,” Hintz said.

Competing proposals Incoming Senate Majority Leader Devin LaMahieu, R-Oostburg, unveiled a separate, less extensive Senate proposal Wednesday seeking to tap the state’s medical assistance fund surplus to maintain the DHS’ response to COVID-19.

“The transfer of surplus funds presents an opportunity to act immediately and work together with the Governor on a unified, effective response to our shared hardship,” LaMahieu said in a press release.

Evers proposed his own COVID-19 package two weeks ago, which is more expensive than Vos’ package and would prohibit evictions, a provision unlikely to pass in the Assembly.

Evers, Vos and LaMahieu virtually met again Tuesday, two weeks after they met to discuss relief. The Republican-controlled legislature

has not passed legislation since April. In a media briefing Tuesday, Evers said he wants the legislature to convene in mid-December rather than waiting for the new session to begin in January.

In a press release, Vos said Assembly Republicans are “ready to act” before the end of the year, when CARES Act funding expires, and added that

AP that he has not yet studied Vos’ proposals and plans to meet with Evers again Thursday.

Evers’ spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said “it’s unfortunate that Republicans can’t even agree among themselves on a plan for our state’s response to this pandemic.”

Bipartisan lawmakers urge caution On the same day Evers and legislative leaders met to dis-

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Robin Vos unveiled legislation, Senate proposed to activate existing state funding.

Wisconsin needs a “comprehensive response” to the pandemic.

However, LaMahieu said that among Senate Republicans “there’s pretty broad support for not coming in,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. He also told the

cuss relief legislation, Wisconsin reported a single-day record of 107 deaths among confirmed COVID19 cases. New cases have dropped in recent days, but testing also

Lawmakers page 3

UW-Madison Primate Research Lab’s history of complaints

By Alexa Heller STAFF WRITER

A recent complaint against the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) over mistreatment of animal research subjects at UW-Madison is just one item in a decades-long list of grievances animal rights groups have brought against the laboratory.

The WNPRC’s mission is to increase individual’s understanding of basic primate biology and to improve human and animal health and quality of life through research.

Based in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education at UW-Madison, the center is part of the National Primate Research Centers program that has been funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1961. The WNRPC has strong research and teaching links to the UW-Madison Schools or Colleges of Medicine and Public Health, Letters and Science, Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine.

The WNPRC has approximately

1,600 animals that are cared for by 190 employees and 190 UW-Madison veterinary, post-doc, graduate, undergraduate and research trainees. The center serves more than 150 scientists and clinicians from around the world.

It also has a long history of complaints from animal rights groups.

In 1989, UW-Madison’s Richard Weindruch conducted a study depriv-

ing monkeys of 30 percent of needed calories to see if this would increase their longevity. The idea behind the study was to see if the monkeys lived longer, healthier lives by eating a lot less than maybe people, their evolutionary cousins, would eat.

When the studies were first made public in 2009, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an international activist group with

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The WNPRC has a history of complaints from various animal rights groups

a mission of stopping all animal research, filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the university’s violations of the Animal Welfare Act. PETA claims the monkeys were kept in a semi-starved state, imprisoned and isolated in tiny barren cages.

UW-Madison has been cited for neglect of animals in multiple reports by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health inspection service.

A 2004 inspection report revealed that a family of three marmosets were “found dead inside of their nesting box after the cage was sent through the cage washer.” The monkeys were believed to be killed with scalding-hot water.

A 2014 inspection report shows that a marmoset monkey died during surgery because of a malfunctioning anesthesia machine. The same report showed a macaque monkey was burned by a malfunctioning heat lamp and another strangled to death when she became tangled in a chain attached to her cage.

That same year, the university was

fined more than $35,000 for seven violations of federal animal-welfare laws.

A 2016 inspection report shows that three monkeys were dehydrated after the drinking water supply line to their cage became disconnected.

The monkeys required specialized IV fluid therapy and one of the monkeys had to be euthanized.

UW-Madison was also fined $74,000 in April by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 28 violations of federal animal research treatment standards from March 2015 to April 2019.

Most recently, PETA filed a complaint on Sept. 2 with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health, claiming six types of animal welfare violations from March through Sept. 1.

According to the allegations, monkeys had persistent diarrhea and traumatic injuries, some of which involved or led to amputations of a finger or toes. Staff separated infants from mothers and failed to prevent “accidental

Primates, page 3

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

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Thursday, December 3, 2020

Remote international students stay unpaid

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892

By Nathan Denzin STAFF WRITER

Volume 130, Issue 12

Dozens of international student workers who have been telecommuting to jobs at UW-Madison from outside the U.S. since the semester began in September have yet to be paid for their work.

According to an email from Human Resource officials at the university, officials were unaware of student workers telecommuting from outside the country until recently and will pay students for any hours already logged — though they did not specify when. However, per a decision made by university HR in early July, students telecommuting from outside the country will not be able to hold hourly positions going forward.

“If [the university] had student hourly workers that put in work and hours this fall, we owe them,” said Mark Walters, Chief Human Resources Officer at UW-Madison.

“If there are individuals who have

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icy until international hires were already made.

When university HR made the internal decision not to bring back international student workers in July, no public comment was made — instead HR reps were supposed to reach out to organizations individually to provide updates on hiring policy. ASM Chair Matthew Mitnick said that the student council was never contacted by an HR representative and got blindsided by the policy.

“There was a new box on our payroll forms this year that asked if you were in the U.S. or not — it felt really weird,” Mitnick said.

“Then we found out people who checked ‘Not in the U.S.’ got an email from HR administration informing them that they wouldn’t be paid for their labor… I was like, ‘what the hell?’”

Brian Li, an ASM Student Rep who is currently living at home in China, said he didn’t know about the policy in place until he heard

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As international students remain unpaid, ASM works to figure out new legislation.

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worked for us without pay, we need to pay them. But we have indicated that going forward student hourly work should not be occurring outside of the U.S.” Although the university’s decision not to extend hourly jobs to international students was made over the summer, student organizations such as the Associated Students of Madison (ASM) say they were not informed of the pol-

other international representatives talk about not being paid.

“The funny thing is that I mistakenly circled ‘In the U.S.’ at first, and got put on payroll,” Li said. “But I realized pretty quickly based on conversations with other international students that I shouldn’t be on that list and got myself taken off. The confusing thing is that throughout this process there wasn’t one problem with me being on payroll — I figured

out I was wrong, not the university.”

Walters says restrictions on international student telecommuting is necessary due to “risks and liabilities” such as national export control, cybersecurity and international taxes.

“For each country, [employment] laws are different, tax laws are different and everything can change based on your employment position,” Walters said. “When employees access our network from outside the states there are security issues — we have to take all these things into account.”

While Mitnick and Li both believe back pay is a good start, reciprocative payments for prior work doesn’t solve the problem of students not being allowed to telecommute from outside the country going forward.

Part and full-time university employees are able to telecommute from outside the country under the July rule changes and are paid for their work. Restrictions only exist for students not in the country, who are hourly workers.

“I know that there are risks involved with international telecommuting, but we just want student employees to have the same rights as part- and full-time employees,” Mitnick said.

Currently, the university does not consider many of the student jobs filled by international students as ‘essential’ and therefore are under no obligation to provide those employment opportunities.

“Most of the students in hourly positions are doing administrative work, and those aren’t exactly ‘mission critical’ to the university,” Walters said. “We obviously value students working in those roles, but the risks and costs involved prevented us from extending [telecommuting] opportunities.”

Li said he and his peers feel their work is essential on ASM’s Grant Allocation Committee.

“My input and voice should be beneficial to campus — I’m an elected student representative, I didn’t just go out and choose this job,” Li said. “[The university] is now kind of discouraging me from doing that job in the first place.”

ASM Legislation

Mitnick, Li and other student representatives drew up legislation for ASM that would further push the university to allow international students to telecommute to work; however, in a decision that surprised them Tuesday night, the body voted to table the bill for at least a week before revisiting it.

“We did not see this coming at all,” Mitnick said. “We thought people would rally behind this bill.”

Mitnick says an email from Walters — that mentioned the risks of international telecommuting and back pay for any work completed — was forwarded by the Dean of Students Christina Olstad to the entire student council just an hour before the meeting.

The exact same email had been sent on Monday morning to only Mitnick, Li and the other authors of a Letter to the Editor.

“I feel really betrayed by the Dean — she told us she supported the bill, and then turned around and sent an email on Walter’s behalf that contradicts some of the legislation, which made a few representatives second guess the bill,” Mitnick said.

“But of course that email contradicts the bill, [proving] the administration doesn’t agree with us.”

Despite the bill being tabled for now, Mitnick said he was confident it will pass next week at the Tuesday student council meeting.

“To me this whole situation isn’t just ‘fine’ — the people chose us [international students] to work,” Li said. “An HR rep even asked me if I wanted to keep working in my position if I don’t get paid, and I said yes, because my input is valuable. It was a choice given to us, they are letting us work without pay.”

While ASM passing legislation would help push the university toward allowing international students to telecommute to work, the decision is ultimately up to Walters and the rest of the UW-Madison HR staff.

“I don’t want to trash on anyone, but some of the people against this bill are getting paid right now,” Mitnick said. “Maybe if they weren’t getting paid they would think something different — people should try to step out of themselves for a second and walk in someone else’s shoes.”

City Council passes ban on facial recognition

By Michael Parsky ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

The Madison City Council voted Tuesday to ban the use of facial recognition technology with exemptions for the Madison Police Department after a divisive debate over the controversial tool.

In a 17-2 vote, the council passed an ordinance that prohibits city agencies, departments and divisions from using the technology or “information derived from a face surveillance system,” the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

“We want people in Madison to feel safe and to know that there are no city resources, there are no city cameras, there are no city technologies in any agency that is going to take their image and add it to one of these mass databases,” Ald. Rebecca Kemble, District 18, said.

Alds. Max Prestigiacomo, District 8; Tag Evers, District 13; Mike Verveer, District 4; Grant Foster, District 15; Patrick Heck, District 2; and Kemble all sponsored the ordinance.

Those who support the ban pointed to research indicating that facial recognition software has trouble identifying children, the elderly and people of color which can lead to mistaken identities. Others accused the technology of intruding on citizen’s privacy and acting as a form of government overreach.

Proponents of facial recognition software say the technology helps catch suspects accused of committing serious crimes and identify victims while serving as a more reliable source of information than eye-witness accounts.

Exemptions in the bill include the use of facial surveillance technology to identify

and/or locate individuals who are victims of human trafficking, child sexual exploitation and missing children.

The ordinance intends to impose a moratorium on all uses of facial recognition software, but it allows the Madison Police Department to maintain its preexisting capabilities with the technology and for the department’s Special Victims Unit to continue its work. MPD works with external facial recognition companies to investigate human trafficking and internet crimes against children, according to The Cap Times.

Acting Chief Vic Wahl said the Special Victim’s Unit had removed 12 juveniles from human trafficking this year alone because of the facial recognition technology. Wahl also said preventing MPD from using the technology would hinder the department’s ability

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to effectively investigate human trafficking violations.

“It’s very important that

Facial Recognition, page 3

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Thursday, December 3, 2020

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Colectivo owners fire back anti-union rhetoric

By Morgan Lock FEATURES WRITER

The recent controversy between Colectivo Coffee Roasters and its employees stems from the backlash created from the attempt to unionize due to COVID-19 working conditions.

Workers at Colectivo Coffee, a Milwaukee-based coffee chain with locations throughout the Midwest, are making an attempt to organize a union with the help of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

In response, Colectivo owners brought in labor law experts to deter workers from unionizing, as they believe it will change the culture of the Colectivo community, according to the letter owners sent out in response to the unionization attempt.

The initial call for change started with the COVID-19 pandemic back in March, when workers felt that owners were not taking the proper safety precautions needed to safely keep their cafes open. In August, workers again called for a union when they found their requests for basic safety measures not being met.

Employees such as Em MendezSmith have been heavily involved with the push to unionize since March. Mednez-Smith, who works at the State Street location, has been working with the Volunteer Organizing Committee, the group of Colectivo workers directly involved with establishing the union and communicating directly with the IBEW.

from Lawmakers, page 1 decreased over the holiday weekend. Wisconsin health officials are expecting a post-Thanksgiving surge in the coming weeks.

Wisconsin lawmakers of both parties appeared in a “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition ad urging Wisconsinites to stay safe by wearing masks, social distancing and following other precautions.

The ad features both Assembly

Colectivo attempted to stay open when the pandemic first hit, instead opting to serve entirely to go and solely with disposable dishes. They also told workers shifts were optional to attend, but only if workers had saved up paid time off, which did not accommodate workers who had health emergencies or sickness and had already used their paid time off.

“The initial push to unionize was made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Midwest,” MendezSmith said.

After learning this, workers created a petition and email campaign to demand a close for at least two weeks with paid leave, and the company complied with their demands.

This win for employees was a catalyst for the push to unionize.

Although Colectivo complied with the initial request for a two week quarantine, this pause did not extend to warehouse workers and delivery drivers.

“The warehouse workers and delivery drivers have been absolute heroes throughout the pandemic, as they’ve kept working the whole time even when their hazard pay was discontinued,” Mendez-Smith said.

The company’s decision to not speak about the on-going Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd’s death along with the reopening of cafes state-wide led to a public outcry for unionization, according to Mendez-Smith.

factually address our coworkers and their questions and concerns.”

Colectivo owners have declined to make public comments at this time.

Recently, on Small Business Saturday, employees called for a “reverse boycott” of Colectivo Coffee establishments in order to send a message to the owners that a union can be good for business.

T h e reverse boycott

“There had already been petitions and activism before the union effort officially started, which made starting it a lot easier,” Mendez-Smith said.

The organizers sent upper management a letter detailing their desire to unionize with a list of their names, in order to quell any potential repercussions from management. Two weeks later, management sent an “union-busting” email, according to employees.

Owners Ward Fowler, Lincoln Fowler and Paul Miller, sent a letter

Speaker Vos and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis. Pocan has pushed for more contact tracing and for the legislature to convene to pass Evers’ mask order, while Vos’ proposal does not mention masks and state Republicans have repeatedly challenged Evers’ efforts to mitigate the spread.

A bipartisan group of three lawmakers representing southwestern Wisconsin counties issued a joint statement Tuesday, urging people to take precautions seriously.

Case activity levels remain critically high in that region of the state.

“We are in the midst of a public health crisis. Across the state our hospitals are filling up or are already full, and in some cases, are sending sick people home to make room for the sickest of the sick,” the three lawmakers wrote.

“In addition, our medical staff are overburdened, stretched too thin, facing their own quarantines or are so burned out that they cannot continue to work.”

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The push to unionize was made in response to the midwest COVID-19 outbreak, according to Mendez-Smith. to their employees strongly expressing that they were opposed to the unionization effort.

In reaction to this attempt, the local coffee chain has hired a high-priced firm, Labor Relations Institute, that specializes in dealing with unions, preventing unions and beating unions in the National Labor Review Board election.

A spokesperson for Colectivo told Urban Milwaukee, “We have been holding informational meetings with experts on labor law, to listen and

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from Facial Recognition, page 2

we’re able to continue doing what we’re doing, so that we’re working to protect child victims and locate them, rescue them, to locate child pornography,” Wahl said. “In the future, it would be nice to have the capacity if we have a significant crime with a significant risk to public safety, that we have the

capacity to reach out to external partners and see if we can use this technology.”

However, other members of the Madison community expressed concerns that the technology would exacerbate racial disparities regarding crime and negatively impact the experiences of people of color.

“Facial recognition technology in the hands of the police

has not been helpful for civilians at large but rather for the perpetuation of violence on Black and Brown bodies,” said Ananda Deacon, a representative for the ACLU Student Alliance at UW-Madison.

In a separate proposal, Ald. Zachary Henak, District 10, advocated to expand the use of the technology to identify deceased individuals, investi-

entailed asking customers to order on the new mobile app and include a message of support for employees.

If Colectivo employees are successful in forming a union, they would hold a vote to see which issues they should prioritize. Issues at the forefront of their campaign currently are establishing scheduled raises and just-cause termination, in addition to bringing in antiracism, diversity and de-escalation training for workers.

also allegedly suffered from psychological distress, hair pulling, fear of cage mates and inadequate cleaning and staff training.

UW-Madison released a statement regarding the recent allegations from PETA, claiming that the lab was “misrepresented.”

The details in PETA’s letter were extracted from the university’s careful record-keeping. The university claims that this speaks to the diligent care provided by the staff and veterinarians in UW-Madison’s animal facilities, as well as the extensive training and attention to animal care.

The statement claims that episodes can be plucked out of context from years of notes on about 100 of the roughly 1,600 animals in the facility gate missing adults or identify suspects in serious felony cases that threaten public safety.

“There [are] absolutely limitations that need to be put on this technology,” Henak said. “But I don’t think a ban on all other uses is the right way to go.”

The resolution failed following a 5-14 vote, with Alds. Sheri Carter, District 14, Barbara Harrington-

and reframed to fit PETA’s agenda. In addition, the statement claims videos can be edited to present a misrepresentative view.

UW-Madison indicated that if agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture chose to investigate PETA’s claims, they will fully participate in that process.

The statement ended acknowledging the many ways that animal research can help improve lives, stating that animal studies have been critical in the development of vaccines and treatments for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, cancer and Alzheimers.

While this is true, WNPRC’s own list of the discoveries made by the lab makes no mention of those diseases except for HIV.

McKinney, District 1, Paul Skidmore, District 9, Michael Tierney, District 16, and Henak supporting the legislation.

The new law also includes smaller exceptions for city agencies and employees such as using facial recognition technology to unlock their cell phones or social media software to communicate directly with the public.

sports Hope in Ohio after Sun Devils sweep

4 Thursday, December 3, 2020

By Reagan Eckley and Cole Wozniak STAFF WRITERS

No. 14 Wisconsin (4-4) team fell back to .500 this last week after being swept by Arizona State in brutal fashion, as the Sun Devils outscored the Badgers 11-6 over the series.

The Badgers were without four top contributors: forwards Roman Ahcan, Tarek Baker, Dominick Mersch and Ty Pelton-Byce because of COVID-19 protocols.

Wisconsin, despite sitting at only .500 on the season, have shown a lot of growth since last season. Although they have played the most games in all of college hockey up to this point, they also have four of the top five scoring leaders in Division I. Wisconsin’s offense has been one of the best in the country to start the 2020-21 season. The Badgers overall shooting percentage of 19.2% ranks as sixth best in NCAA despite the fact that they have played more games than anyone else in the country.

Surprisingly, senior forward out of Sweden, Linus Weissbach, is the leading scorer for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Weissbach has scored 10 points with five goals and five assists on an impressive 19 shots through 8 games.

Star sophomore and future

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forward for the Montreal Canadien Cole Caufield has also been impressive for the Badgers this season. Caufield has continued his impressive pace of last season, almost matching his scoring numbers from a season ago through the same amount of games.

Caufield has taken twice as many shots as Weissbach and is far and away the team’s biggest shot taker. Although there is a relatively small sample size, Caufield is shaping up to be not as efficient as last season. He is on pace to take about 40 more shots this year than last season while still averaging the same number of points per outing.

Michigan Tech graduate transfer and starting goalie Robbie Beydoun has played well in the first eight games this season, with a decent save percentage of .914, which is in the top fifteen of the Big Ten. When looking at the upcoming matchup against the Buckeyes, it is easy to see why Wisconsin would be favored.

Ohio State has a measly 1-3 record to start the season after being swept by Minnesota in their opener and splitting their last series with Michigan State.

Wisconsin’s shooting percentage is almost twice that of the Buckeyes, with Wisconsin scoring on 13.6% of their shots

compared to the Buckeyes’ 7.3%. Ohio State has scored only seven times in four games, and has been scored on eleven

season is with faceoffs. The Buckeyes are only winning 35.1% of faceoffs, which is the lowest in D1 hockey, where-

save percentage against the Spartans. He was the Big Ten’s second star of last week, along with Treloar. Treloar was the

TOM LYNN /COURTESY OF UW ATHLETICS

Cole Caufield rips a shot against Penn State. The sophomore forward has kept up his high production so far. times. However, Ohio State does have a higher team save percentage with .927, compared with Wisconsin’s .906.

Wisconsin is also a younger team, with an average age of 20.1 years of age against 22.1 for the Buckeyes. Another area where Ohio State has struggled in the start of this

as Wisconsin is winning at 48.9%, which is more in the middle of the pack.

Players to watch in this upcoming series with the Buckeyes are senior goaltender Tommy Nappler and freshman forward Travis Treloar. Nappler is leading the NCAA with 84 saves, and had an efficient .944

Big Ten’s Third Star of the week after ranking second in the conference in scoring last week.

Treloar leads Ohio State in scoring this season.

The puck drops at 4:30 on Thursday, Dec. 3 in Columbus, and at the same time Friday on Dec. 5. Both games will be broadcasted on ESPNU.

Chris Mueller assigned to U.S. Men’s National Team

By Ellie Nowakowski STAFF WRITER

Chris Mueller, former member of the UW-Madison men’s soccer team, became the first Badger to be called up to the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team Monday evening. Mueller was one of 22 men called to training camp on Nov. 30 by U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter.

Mueller spent four seasons with the Badgers as both a midfielder and forward, before being drafted by Orlando City SC with the 6th overall pick. As a senior, Mueller was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2017. That same year, Mueller helped lead the Badgers to the Big Ten Conference title.

He left UW with the eighth-most career goals (22) for the team, and set a school record for assists in a season (19) in 2017, breaking the record previously set in 1981.

His senior season, he started in all 21 games and had more assists than anyone in the country.

Mueller’s season by season growth showed a steady numerical increase in everything from games played and started, to assists and goals. Mueller credits a book he received from a friend following his sophomore season with the long-term commitment he’s had to the sport.

“After my sophomore season at college I picked up a book from a friend that had really changed my mentality and pretty

much changed my life because it sent me on this trajectory of personal growth and constantly trying to learn and be the best version of myself that I can be every day,” Mueller told MLS soccer in August.

Mueller credits the end of his sophomore year as being pivotal, and his senior season was a culmination of his growth over the preceding three. He had a series of notable games and led the nation in both assists (19) and assists per game (.95). Mueller had a goal and an assist in the Badger’s game with in-state rival Marquette. An overtime assist in a late season matchup against Notre Dame led the Badgers to victory, and subsequently to the Big Ten title.

Mueller was also the Badger soccer team’s eighth NSCAA All-American in 2016. In 2017, he was selected again making him the first two-time All-American for the team, and in Badger history.

In 2016, his third year on the team, Mueller became the first Badger to be selected for the Midwest All-Region first team since 2013 and the All-Big Ten First Team since 2013. He was selected again for both in 2017 after his final season at UW. This will be Mueller’s first chance to earn a cap with the National Team.

Mueller will first appear on the USMNT roster Dec. 9 at the USA - El Salvador friendly, set to be played at Inter Miami CF stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UW ATHLETICS

Chris Mueller was a star at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was drafted sixth overall by Orlando City SC in the MLS Draft, and now readies his next career step with the USMNT.

arts ‘Everyday Life’ proves its importance

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Thursday, December 3, 2020 • 5

By Anupras Mohapatra OPTINION EDITOR

While most of the world focused on the unveiling of the Tesla Cybertruck last November and lost it when the “armor glass” on the truck smashed — much to Elon Musk’s embarrassment — another unveiling was taking place in Amman, Jordan. Diametrically opposite to the chaos that the Cybertruck caused, this unveiling was peaceful and serene. It was hosted by none other than Coldplay, who released their most recent album Everyday Life via two live performances during the Jordanian sunrise and sunset that were streamed in their entirety on YouTube.

The performances were meant to correspond to the two halves of the album titled “Sunrise” and “Sunset” and the location was a nod to the Middle Eastern influences of the album. Being a biased Coldplay fan, I found the performance to be quite godly, especially when meshed in with the beauty of Amman and indeed, the sunrise and the sunset, but unfortunately, I could not get anybody to appreciate the brilliance of the performance — and indeed, the album — at the time.

However, a bit more than one year on and following a Grammy nomination that came as a pleasant surprise — although Grammys are no real indicator of quality — no one can stop me, as I further make a case for the beauty ATLANTIC RECORDS of this album, Coldplay’s eighth in an illustrious career spanning about two "Everyday Life" serves as a cultural awakening for Coldplay, as they pull on Middle Eastern roots to deliver a new sound. decades. It is worth looking through each and every track in this album. year of racial reckoning. ing French vocals from popular (father), two characters with disThe songs can end up having very Arguably the most chilling aspect Belgian singer Stromae and horn tinct stories who were killed by distinct sounds, yet share a lot in char- of “Trouble in Town” is that it features sections by Nigerian musician the bombing of Damascus in 2018, acter and essence and have strong a real clip from a stop and frisk by Femi Kuti and his band. The song with the bridge suggesting that they Middle Eastern and African influenc- infamous Philly cop Philip Nace in is a great mix of western and east- were reunited in heaven, bringing es, as can be seen on the album cover 2013, which is interspersed with an ern music, which fits the overall out the gut-wrenching reality of and other places as well. intense crescendo of music that makes message of the song — trying to war and violence.

Everyday Life is a double album, you sit up and feel strongly. establish that people, whether “Orphans” is quickly followed with two sections as mentioned A powerful track like “Trouble in from the East or the West, are peo- by “Èko”, a song taking inspiabove. The first half of the album Town” is followed by a short track, ple at the end of the day. ration from African sounds and constitutes “Sunrise” , with an epon- “BrokEn”, styled as such in a tribThe song also features a sound whose lyrics can be seen as an ymous instrumental interlude kick- ute to Brian Eno, who Coldplay had bite by legendary musician Fela ode to Africa and the title as a ing things off and truly setting the worked with previously on successful Kuti — father of Femi — and a reference to the city of Lagos, tone for the first section of the album. projects like “Viva la Vida” and whose great deal of passion. Indeed, it is Nigeria and then “Cry Cry Cry”, This is followed by “Church”, the taste in gospel music inspired them the first Coldplay studio release a simple bluesy song centered first proper song of the album based to record such a track. This track is to feature any profanity — which around supportive and loving on a parallel comparison between simple and naturally features a gospel can be heard in the outro when relationships, which was also a place of worship and a beautiful choir, essentially standing as a prayer Chris shouts “same fucking blood” given its own music video. woman’s heartwarming presence, and providing much needed relax- to great effect.

Next up is “Old Friends”, a song featuring backing vocals in Arabic ation after the vexation that comes The first half of the album is that serves as a short two-minute ode

by Norah Shaqur, the first of many from “Trouble in Town”. wrapped up by “When I Need a to friends we might have lost along the nods to Arab culture.

This reprieve does not last long Friend”, which sounds like a hymn way, for whatever reason. From Chris What follows this track is arguably though, as the next song is arguably and calls out to spirituality. It also Martin’s perspective, it was a reference the most powerful song on the album the strongest candidate for tear-jerker features lines from a documentary to a friend he lost to Leukemia. and my personal favorite, “Trouble in in the album: “Daddy”. The premise “Everything is Incredible” spoken This was followed by perTown”. This song has its own music of the song is simple and execution is by Agustin, a Honduran fisherman haps the most unique track in video, a visual depiction of the lyrics effective, as it serves as an account of a who was paralyzed by Polio but the album: — the Arabic script taking some inspiration from George child who misses their father, perhaps determined to build his own helicop- read from right to left and romanOrwell’s Animal Farm — with specific one who has abandoned them. ter over the last 50 years, despite not reference to the line “some animals According to Chris Martin, this seeing himself ever flying in it. The are more equal than others” — and song also refers to the American outro mirrors the hopeful sentiment is based on the deep rooted issue of prison industrial complex and how that the song carries into the second police brutality along racial lines — it separates children from their half of the album. perhaps the most prophetic track in fathers, thus proving to be another “Sunset” signifies a switch in the whole album, as 2020 has been a extremely relevant song at a time energy and is started off by a playwhen criminal justice reform is ful and powerful satirical track being discussed so extensively. The “Guns”, a politically charged song song is also given an animated music that calls out misplaced societal video to add to the feels. priorities, the fixation on guns The next song “WOTW/POTP” and the issue of gun violence, — which stands for “Wonder of pushing the overarching message the World, Power of the People” of the album — peace — in an — is a short song aimed at self unconventional manner, one that affirmation, which also serves as I personally enjoy. an interlude to the penultimate “Guns” is followed by the other song in the “Sunrise” section of lead single of the album, “Orphans”. the album, “Arabesque”.

Perhaps one of the few radio friend“Arabesque” — one of the lead ly songs on the album, its cheerful singles for the album — proves tone — and music video — masks to be yet another unique sound- the deeper lyrics. The lyrics tell the ATLANTIC RECORDS ing song in the album, featur- stories of Rosaleen and her Baba

The album came out Nov. 22, 2019.

ized as “Bani Adam” — which is a musical rendition of a Farsi poem written by Iranian poet Saadi Shirazi that speaks for humanity and togetherness.

This poem was also once referenced by Barack Obama and can also be found inscribed on the United Nations building in New York.

The penultimate song of the “Sunset” section — and indeed, the album — followed next in the form of “Champion of the World”. In an eclectic collection of songs, this serves as one of the only other more radio-friendly tracks in my opinion.

Featuring an intro in Igbo — yet another nod to Africa — this song is one for those who don’t feel like they belong. The music video’s narrative is centered around a bullied kid — often juxtaposed with Chris — who found solace in a world of imagination. As someone who spends a lot of time immersed in thought and imagination, this song certainly resonates with me.

This album comes to a poignant conclusion with the title song “Everyday Life”. The song shares the main chord progression with the first proper song on the album “Church” and wraps everything together, speaking about the all too real struggles we face in our everyday lives — including so many of the things sung about in the album — and how everyone is in this together because this is all human.

The music video starts off alluding to the Xhosa concept of Ubuntu, a philosophy of humanity, of “I am because we are” that signifies how our lives are so intertwined. Indeed, it motivated me to write an opinion piece in March, just as everything fell apart.

In a year that has seen us go through just about everything imaginable — and with no idea about what is in store next — this album provides a dose of warmth that is so desperately needed.

Perhaps it is not at the same level of human ingenuity as a Cybertruck but when the world falls apart, I can only turn to Everyday Life and its exquisite variety of sounds and the connecting thread of love, humanity and hope and powerful refutation of hate, to find some much needed solace.

About one year on, this album can no longer be cast aside in favor of shiny new trucks as some afterthought. Everyday Life has grown larger than life. It is prophetic and perhaps precisely what we need to progress towards healing the open wounds that 2020 has inflicted on us.

MATTHEW MILLER

To celebrate their new album, Coldplay performed songs live from Jordan.

almanac 6

Thursday, December 3, 2020

dailycardinal.com

How to deal with having COVID-19 at home

By Joe Rickles If you’re like me right now, you’re spending your days in your twin-size childhood bed after a pair of unexpected positive COVID-19 tests. Yeah, you were safer than normal — read: stopped going to frat parties and bars — the last week you were in Madison, and you tested negative twice before coming back, but that goddamn baby that was bawling its eyes out from Chicago to Newark probably gave it to you. Stop crying and put a mask on you little shit.

But, asshole baby or not, this is your life for the next few weeks. Every time you see your parents, they’re in a mask. You feel guilty for bringing the Becky Virus — as some people are calling it, I understand — back home, but again, nothing you can do now.

Never fear, dear reader, for I am here to walk you through your two weeks of quarantine and mild COVID-19 symptoms with the five most important things you’ll need to survive.

1. A Good Attitude Listen, bud. It could be worse. You’re in your bed, not the ICU. Sometimes, when everything sucks, you just gotta take a step back and realize where you are. Yes, it’s twin-size, so you may as well be locked up in a Slovenian prison, but let’s move past that for a second.

Of course, the benefit to being at home is the food.

Home-cooked meals beat UberEats McDonalds any day, price-wise and taste-wise. So just wait for your mom or dad to bring up the next meal … fuck yes, some nachos. Hmm… These nachos taste weird.

Actually, they … they don’t taste like anything…

Wait. Wait wait wait. Hold on. Hooooold on. Did I … no.

There’s no way. No way. Let me take another bite … oh fuck.

It’s about now where you’re gonna slowly walk over to the stick of deodorant sitting on your desk. Take the top off and put your nose about three centimeters away, take a whiff like you’re Diego Maradona (RIP) before a big game, and … shit.

Shit shit shit SHIT SHIT SHIT I CAN’T SMELL OR TASTE WHAT THE FUCK OH GOD

IM SPIRALING THIS IS GONNA BE A DIS — 2. Drugs Okay, calm down. You’re gonna be fine. But maybe right now we just need to take the edge off.

Hopefully on your way back you pulled a Baby Escobar and trafficked a few weed edibles through the TSA. Trust me dude, they don’t give a shit.

Just do it, but don’t call me when you get arrested. Millions of people do it every year and if you get in trouble it’s because you’re lame and you deserve it.

We e d is the quarantine drug of choice.

I’m not gonna preach to you like one of those stoners who wear drug rugs even though on many levels including spiritual I am one; however, I am 100 percent right about this. If you’re gonna be laying in bed all day, you should at least be high. Feel something dude.

You might be thinking that without your sense of smell, it’s a great time to try cocaine.

Um, no. Don’t do that. Doing cocaine alone is some sleazy shit. That’s why we voted out the Trumps.

Alcohol may seem like a good idea, as it’s probably more readily available than weed, but you’re gonna feel

like shit in the morning. Also, drinking alone isn’t fun and is only slightly less sleazy than coke alone. If coke alone is the Trumps, drinking alone is some George W. Bush shit — even though we know he was a party animal.

The opioid crisis has killed hundreds of thousands of people and ruined millions of

that is a Japanese Role Playing Game. I haven’t touched one of the things since my middleschool days because I didn’t want to seem weird in high school, and that might have been the lone choice that led to me actually having friends.

But we are alone now. No friends allowed. Welcome to Weeb Land.

Now, I’m not so dead-set on these games because they’re fun. God, no. They’re kinda fun I guess. But you know what they really are? Timeconsuming.

I sunk d o z ens of

hours i n t o various JRPGs over the course of my middle-school years, and I didn’t beat a single one. Not one. These fuckers are like 80 hours long. The average person should never be able to complete one. But guess what? The average person has things to do, unlike you and I. I personally recommend Persona 4 Golden, which is what I’m playing through right now. I’ve played 15 hours in the last three days, so I’m barely past the prologue. It’s pretty good if you take it for what it is and don’t take it too seriously. If you can get past the plot point of a major character having homosexual thoughts and brushing it off as a mental

BY KIN C HI HUS P A A GR AR CL

lives. But … just hear me out.

All things considered, maybe heroin isn’t the worst thing … I should probably stop here.

3. Buy a JRPG Okay. Let’s not lie to ourselves. We’re down bad. And for me, at least, I am using this time to do absolutely no work.

Fuck this late-stage capitalism shit, I’ve got a virus that’s killed millions of people and I’m not gonna spend this time doing schoolwork. Yuck. But then, what am I gonna do?

Well, my friend, let me introduce you to the weeaboo hell

Rupi

A Message

By Anupras Mohapatra

By Anupras Mohapatra

I write four words then two then try three Then throw in five words I am profound

Claby blobby pippy tappy Yiya Liya Ooga Booga Alabama Alabama, Jama Jama cappy

— Rupi Kaur

illness — I wish I was making that up — then it’s a pretty good game. It’s on sale on Steam, too, which in most people’s minds outweighs the homophobia.

4. Stay healthy. Or at least try to.

Every time I open the door to my room for my dad without a shirt, he asks if I worked out yet.

Of course, the answer is no, but it’s making me self-conscious so I’m gonna pretend that I’m gonna do these healthy things.

Yoga is a really good way to stay healthy while you have COVID. Except for the fact that it is literally all about breath, and you have a respiratory virus. So, nevermind.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is out of the question, too. I did HIIT for six weeks over the summer and I couldn’t breathe when I was actually healthy, so I’m not even gonna try that.

If you have weights, that could work. Look at Mr. Moneybags over here with his personal set of weights. Fuck you. I’m jealous.

Of course, now is as good a time as ever to go on a diet.

I’m considering going not just vegetarian, but kale-only. Kale sucks, but guess what? I can’t fucking taste. What does it matter to me? Gimme a plate of leaves like a well-loved rabbit three times a day and I’ll probably live.

5. Write about your feelings When all else fails, take a few hours to write a dumb little satire piece, because it’s not like you’ve got anything else to do. Stop scrolling through Snapchat and Twitter where all your friends are living it up in San Diego, and take some time for yourself.

Write what you’re feeling.

The pain, the dullness of losing your senses, the pinch in your back from being hunched over in bed all day, the tightness in your shoulders from all the stagnance. Bare it all.

And then send that apparently-deeply personal piece to Almanac Editor Jordan Simon, who — based on his recent tweets — is probably ridiculously high, and give him work to do on a Saturday night because you have no sense of times or dates anymore and forgot that people actually go outside and do things on weekends.

Lua lua Dua Lipa Apa kappa tolta pipa Tater tot lancelot Evo revo walka bot Rat tat tat ta papp pap rap

Nein ja ich bin ein jünge crap Eplo deplo turnip clap Rouble poobul taffy taf Del boca vista pista graf Slippy chippy clippy crampf Hope the ghost you — the reader — summon this way is friendly — Oh also, read the first letter of each line :)

opinion Dane County Health: Put people first dailycardinal.com

By Haley Bills SENIOR STAFF WRITER

In response to a rapid increase of COVID-19 cases, Public Health Madison & Dane County released Emergency Order #10, completely prohibiting all indoor gatherings and limiting outdoor gatherings to 10 people.

While tightened restrictions are undoubtedly necessary for public health and safety, this order wrongly places the brunt of the burden on individuals. After all, the order neglected to place further restrictions on county businesses, therefore allowing them to essentially carry on “business as usual” despite being known COVID19 hotpots.

The previous order permitted ten people per indoor gathering and 25 per outdoor gathering, while also allowing businesses to operate at 50% approved capacity levels and restaurants to abide by a dine-in capacity of 25%. Under the new order, indoor gatherings including members who do not reside in the same household or living unit are completely prohibited. In contrast to this drastic restriction, no changes were made to the previous policies regulating businesses and restaurants.

The Tavern League of Wisconsin (TLW), a trade association that rep-

Thursday, December 3, 2020

resents licensed beverage retailers, has long enjoyed privileges advancing their interests despite connections to major public health concerns. Most glaringly, their campaign contributions to Wisconsin lawmakers who make efforts to block legislation cracking down on drunk driving has resulted in inaction on the state’s pervasive drunk driving problem.

Now, in spite of the threat posed

by COVID-19, TLW has pushed for loosened restrictions on bars and restaurants. The economic burden experienced by businesses during the pandemic is undeniable, but allowing them to continue operating under a 25% capacity level, a restriction that clearly failed in contributing to efforts of slowing the spread of the virus, is unjustifiable.

Every weekend, any passerby can observe without fail the lines of people that wrap around bars nearby the UW-Madison campus. Whether or not these establishments are actually following PHMDC orders, the lines alone serve as a major COVID19 breeding ground. The Kollege Klub, to name just one example, had to close a second time in September after being linked to a string of coronavirus infections.

It’s frustrating that it must be

repeated so many times, but the prioritization of business and money over the lives of our community requires its further emphasis: COVID-19 “can cause severe medical complications and lead to death in some people,” according to the Mayo Clinic. As of Dec. 2, it has already cost 102 lives in Dane County. Not to mention, the county is on course for growing case averages on top of its current peak of hospitalizations.

And while Order #10 fails to hold bars and restaurants adequately accountable, it holds Dane County citizens overly accountable. By placing harsher restrictions on the individual than on businesses, PHMDC wrongly suggests that individuals alone hold the most responsibility in fighting the virus while distracting from the great harm caused by gatherings occurring at a larger scale.

What is more risky, after all? A bar that brings together ten individuals with different exposures, or a gathering of ten people from the same social pod?

This is not to say that the precautions taken by individuals are not important, or that those who act recklessly do not cause great harm.

Instead, it is to draw attention to the hypocrisy in the differing levels of

restriction imposed by PHMDC — especially to those who live alone and to those who require assistance and care from others.

While it is not explicitly spelled out in Order #10, engaging in activities or performing “tasks essential to their health and safety, or to the health and safety of their family or household members,” as stated in Order #2, is still permitted, even if it involves the gathering between individuals of different homes. However, the vast majority of reporting and the PHMDC release failed to acknowledge this important detail.

Additionally, the new order neglects to consider the potential harm to mental health that can be caused by such strict social isolation.

For instance, isolation and loneliness are factors that have been found to worsen the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, resulting in families experiencing devastating loss much too soon.

The pandemic and social distancing efforts have contributed to increased risk of depression and anxiety, as well. Fear, anxiety and sadness are natural responses to loss and isolation, according to licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Reichert. In fact, a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that elevated levels of adverse mental

7

health conditions, substance use and suicidal ideation were reported by U.S. adults in June 2020.

The BMJ, a British medical research journal, also reported their concerns about suicide rates increasing amidst stay-at-home orders.

“Isolation, or limits in social contact, can have negative side effects that may impact mental health. As humans, we thrive on connection with others; we are social beings,” Reichert said to the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Loneliness is one of the biggest factors we are trying to combat right now. It can feel hopeless and can lead to increased feelings of isolation, which are risk factors for depression and anxiety.”

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are at a very concerning high in Dane County and changes must be made in order to ameliorate what has become an incredibly grave situation.

PHMDC has done great work to promote public health, but the downfalls of Order #10 cannot be ignored. It is time our priorities lay completely within the lives — not dollars — of our community.

Haley is a senior studying Journalism and French. Do you think Order #10 lets off businesses too easy?

Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com

Wisconsin Lawmakers’ heads are in the clouds if they believe keeping weed illegal is good for the state

By Kalli Anderson CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

In 2016, the Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Committee (SCAODA) released a 72 page report with recommendations on how to reduce the public health impact of marijuana in the community. They recommended that Wisconsin not legalize marijuana and instead recommended that those with possession and use crimes continue to be thrown in jail.

However, Wisconsin’s capital city of Madison decided in 2019 to decriminalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana.

Then on Nov. 17, Madison’s City Council moved to further decriminalize marijuana by passing an ordinance that no longer punishes people with paraphernalia and allows people 18 years and older to possess 28 grams or less of marijuana on public and private property — as long as they have permission from the property owner.

Fines for violating this ordinance will only result in a $1 fee.

So why has Wisconsin’s capital city enforced more lenient rules surrounding marijuana, but not the rest of the state? Why does the state continue to enforce harsh, outdated laws that no longer serve our contemporary times?

Why does Wisconsin not at least follow the lead of neighboring states like Illinois in legalizing the substance, or at least come close to Minnesota in decriminalizing marijuana up to 1.5 ounces?

By keeping marijuana illegal and criminalized, Wisconsin is furthering the cycle of hurt and mass incarceration. Not only is it tearing families apart by throwing them into the bowels of the criminal justice system, but it is also harming future generations’ perceptions of racial equity and fairness in the system.

In the SCAODA report on marijuana in Wisconsin, the sixth recommendation for the state of Wisconsin

is that “marijuana should not be legalized for personal, recreational use,” because the council references studies show “either no change or an increase in the number of people using marijuana products.” But, this should not be the focus of prison policy.

Instead, Wisconsin should be looking at the larger picture of how keeping marijuana illegal negatively impacts the community, especially the youth.

In a study called “Race, Ethnicity, and Youth Perceptions of Criminal Injustice,” researchers Hagan, Shedd and Payne looked into how police contacts with minority populations impact the youth perception of the criminal justice system. They found that Black youth are more vulnerable to police contacts than any other race/ ethnicity. Due to these increased contacts, Black youth had a more negative perception of police officers.

If these negative perceptions became the mindset of minority Wisconsinites, this would chip away at the police’s ability to maintain social control and enforce laws effectively.

However, the researchers found that if there was a decrease in police contacts, this could work to diminish minority youth’s negative views of criminal injustice. It is critical, especially in Wisconsin where the Black population only makes up about 6 percent of the state’s population, that the state works closely with this marginalized community to strengthen relationships between their community and the police.

If the community does not trust the local police department due to fear or intimidation, the community will not call the police and may instead take matters into their own hands, or just simply not report crimes.

If Wisconsin worked to increase positive interactions between marginalized communities and police departments, there would be a more open line of communication between the

two. This would then pave the way for the police to properly do their job and help communities in times of need, while communities could help the police in keeping them safe.

Another factor that makes the solution offered by SCAODA immoral is the emotional toll prison has on a family and community. While SCAODA claims that decriminalization and legalization “changes have not reduced the [racial] disparities as experts had hoped” in states that underwent reform like California and Colorado; it also states that “overall rates of arrests have decreased,” which means that fewer people were incarcerated in these states than years prior due to the decriminalization and legalization changes. This means that fewer families were broken apart by the criminal justice system sending a parent to jail/prison, fewer families had to struggle through the transition of becoming a single-parent household, fewer families were exposed to intergenerational trauma and fewer families lost access to healthcare.

By decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana, more families were able to stay together, which in turn allows for parents to more closely monitor their adolescent children and keep them out of undue trouble. It would also allow for families to not have to readjust to life with two parents after one came back from incarceration. When a parent comes back from incarceration, no matter how long they have been locked up, families are negatively impacted because not only does the parent have to face reintegration challenges back into their own family unit, but they also must tend to possible traumas such as PTSD, addiction, feelings of social isolation and mental illnesses.

Being a prisoner also leads to fewer job prospects for minorities in a society that already prefers white ex-cons to clean minority workers. This preference for white low-wage workers

over minority low-wage workers leads to more minority workers being out of a job, which can lead to poverty, worse education, worse healthcare access and fewer opportunities to escape the lower-class.

If instead these prisoners were treated with kindness and not swept into the broken conglomeration we call a criminal justice system, ex-convicts would be able to skip the terrors faced in prison, the PTSD after leaving their cinder block homes and keep their families stronger and their mar-

the criminal justice system. Not only do policies supporting the illegalization of marijuana fail to account for the many families and communities harmed by them, they also hurt the working relationship between police departments and minority community members in a time when racial tensions are spiked across the country.

Without an evolving legislature, how is the great state of Wisconsin supposed to be a role model in the United States? How will the state embody its state-funded universities

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY PAWLOWSKI

WI Lawmakers don't understand the sentiments surrounding marijuana riages more intact.

Turning an eye to racial injustice in Wisconsin, we see that these problems are only furthered by keeping marijuana illegal. In 2018, the ACLU found that “Black people [were] 4.2 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession in Wisconsin, despite comparable national marijuana usage rates.” This only exacerbates the problem of racial inequity in Wisconsin and further harms society and families.

By decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana in Wisconsin, lawmakers would take a solid step towards a more racially equitable state.

Wisconsin has to do better with problems surrounding marijuana and

Wisconsin Idea of improving the quality of life for everybody? Wisconsin is doing their people a disservice by keeping marijuana illegal and state legislators must now reevaluate the laws they enacted all those years ago to better serve their constituents.

Kalli is a Co-Editor-in-Chief at The Daily Cardinal and a junior studying Journalism, with certificates in Criminal Justice and Middle Eastern Studies. What do you think about marijuana and its illegal occupation in Wisconsin? Do you agree that it should be decriminalized and legalized? Or do you think that would do more harm than help? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Life & Style Eating disorders around the holidays 8

Thursday, December 3, 2020

By Sophie Friedberg STAFF WRITER

Food has become almost as synonymous with the holidays as changing leaves or Santa Claus himself.

What comes to mind when you hear the word Thanksgiving?

Pumpkin pie, turkey, cranberry sauce.

What about Christmas? Ham, gingerbread, peppermint hot chocolate. And, for Hanukkah? Latchas, brisket, jelly donuts.

I could go on.

What else do we think of? I’ve heard it, you’ve heard it, your dog walker’s sister’s boyfriend’s cousin heard it, too.

Those dreadful sentiments that come the morning after a big holiday, and they go a little something like this: “I can’t believe how much I ate last night.”

“I feel so fat. I’m never eating again.”

“I had three pieces of pie last night. My diet starts NOW.” Not to mention everything you

dailycardinal.com

hear during your holiday meal.

Coming from relatives, friends or even partners — “Are you sure you want to eat all of that?”

“You look like you’ve gained a little weight since the last time I saw you.”

And, equally as damaging, “Did you lose weight? You look amazing!”

Telling someone they look great after losing weight could be seen positively, but more likely, it’ll be understood by that person as a comment on their human worth: You have greater value to me now that you weigh less.

It’s not a coincidence that eating disorders spike during the holidays. America’s obsession with food coupled with its obsession with skinniness and “fat culture” creates an environment full of triggers that can amplify an already unhealthy relationship with food.

I’m not by any means saying we should ignore food at the

holidays altogether. Food is considered a love language; it’s used to show our appreciation and care for those around us during a time of great joy and togetherness.

What I am saying, however, is to understand the hidden message behind your words. Be cognizant of the comments that tie food directly to weight.

Comments that link the two, even with the best of intentions, will be harmfully internalized.

With Thanksgiving already under our belt and the December holidays just around the corner, urge kindness and practice compassion.

If you know somebody with an eating disorder, take the time to do some research and find out how you can be an ally and a support system.

If you don’t know somebody with an eating disorder, you do — you just don’t know it. It is important to be aware at all times. You can never be too careful.

ANN SELIGER / THE DAILY CARDINAL

Social media’s fashion influence

By Colby Bellman STAFF WRITER

PATRIK SVENSSON/COVER ARTIST

A book that you can’t put down

By Sophie Reeves STAFF WRITER

In 2018, a woman by the name of Tara Westover shocked the world when she released her memoir, titled “Educated.” A story of perseverance, grit, and determination, “Educated” documents Westover’s survivalist and sheltered upbringing.

Raised in a Mormon family in the mountains of rural Idaho, she was kept separate from the modern world, along with her six siblings.

Her parents, Gene and Faye Westover, were paranoid about government control, hospitals, and the public school system, thus Tara never received any primary education.

Driven by a hunger for knowledge, however, Westover taught herself enough to take the ACT and was accepted into Brigham Young University. This turns out to be just the beginning of her academic and profes-

sional career.

I have read “Educated” twice now, the second time being this past semester, and both times I have been absolutely captivated by Westover’s story and the exciting, heart wrenching and fascinating components of the memoir.

The story focuses a lot on how Tara’s beliefs were shaped by her father’s, as she had never gone to school before college and was never really given the opportunity to form her own opinions.

The shocking part is how quickly Tara is able to absorb and retain new information that she learns, enough to eventually grant her a Gates scholarship.

In May 2019, Tara Westover was the graduation speaker for my sister’s graduation from Northeastern University.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to hear her speak and learn

about her before reading her memoir. What stood out to me was the fact that she is so well-spoken and incredibly intellectual that I would have had no idea the hardships she has faced in her life, including the complete estrangement from society, if not for her book.

Following the ceremony, I picked up a copy of “Educated” and proceeded to read the whole thing over the span of a few days.

It is one of those books that you just cannot put down, and I devoured page after page, accompanied by laughter, tears, anticipation and admiration.

After reading it a second time, I can say two things with absolute certainty: “Educated” is one of the best books I have ever read, and Tara Westover is truly an inspiration. “Educated” is an absolute must-read for anyone and everyone.

After just a few minutes, a post on social media can blow up and have millions of likes and views.

This can generate new fashion trends to emerge over night, causing items to sell out instantly.

A perfect example of this is when YouTuber Emma Chamberlain posted a picture of herself in yoga pants. The picture got over a million likes and started a new trend instantly.

Just days after the picture was taken, people posted their own videos and pictures recreating her outfit. Just one post on social media made this new trend blow up in just a matter of days.

However, someone does not have to be a famous YouTuber to start

a new trend. For example, @hannahschlenker on TikTok, posted a video in the Aerie Offline Real Me High Waisted Crossover Legging and received over 4 million views. After the video got so much attention, people of all body types began buying the leggings and posting about how flattering they are. This caused the leggings to sell out in almost every color and size just a week after the original video was posted.

Since a single video or picture can create a new trend or cause a product to sell out, companies have begun working with social media stars to promote their product.

Companies may either give these “celebrities” their own product to wear or use in a video, or they might feature them

in an advertisement.

For example, American Eagle partnered with TikTok star Addison Rae in their Back to School ‘20 campaign. Rae also posted videos in their clothes which received millions of views. Using these social media stars to sell products allows companies to market to their fans who trust the opinion of the celebrity. This makes people more likely to buy a product when they see someone they support wearing it.

Social media has a huge impact on the fashion industry and what is trending. Posts can blow up extremely fast, constantly changing fashion fads. With platforms like TikTok and Instagram gaining so much popularity, anyone can start a new trend overnight.

JENNIFER SCHALLER /THE DAILY CARDINAL

science Water management with rain gardens dailycardinal.com

By Gavin Schopf STAFF WRITER

Understanding the unique behavior of water in urban areas begins with understanding two fundamentals. First, hydrogen bonding between atoms makes water molecules stick to one another (cohesion) and other charged surfaces (adhesion).

Second, water is polar, making it a “universal solvent.”

These properties are essential to life on Earth but sometimes make water difficult to manage.

Water sticks together, flowing along paths of least resistance, dissolving substances and carrying them to new places. In humanaltered systems, this can pose a variety of challenges.

Madison has had its share of water management issues. In Aug. 2018, the city received record levels of rainfall, producing a 100-year flood (a flood with a one percent chance of occurring in any given year), wrote assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering Daniel Wright.

The storm and flooding “clearly demonstrated Madison’s vulnerability to extreme rainfall” — a product of urbanization, increasing heavy storm frequency in the Midwest and the maintenance of high water levels in Lake Mendota, Wright wrote in a report.

The Yahara Watershed, consisting of the Yahara River and surrounding water bodies (and covering more than a quarter of Dane County), exists alongside a blend of agricultural and urban life. Runoff packed with excessive nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, has led to “unsightly and unsafe blue-green algae [cyanobacteria] blooms in the lakes,” UW-Limnology wrote.

As rain and meltwater run into waterways, they can pick up minerals, nutrients and chemicals.

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Substances like fertilizers, livestock manure and everyday chemicals may not normally be harmful, but when concentrated within these waterways, they can have ill effects on the natural environment and human health.

The University of WisconsinMadison is researching new ways to mitigate the effects of urban runoff using green engineering, also known as bioengineering, according to Nick Balster, professor of soil science and explorer of the interactions between soil, plants and organisms.

Ecosystem services — clean air

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Nick Balster examines plants. and water, food, flood control and recreation — are among the countless ecosystem services provided by the land. Bioengineering seeks to capitalize on these services by developing natural solutions to environmental and human health concerns without sacrificing economic efficiency.

“Traditional engineering practices capable of handling heavy, episodic rain events can often be costly,” Balster said. Green infrastructure acts as a buffer and provides an alternative to debating the cost effectiveness of larger storm sewers.

“My research has primar-

ily revolved around residential rain gardens and the interactions between plants and soil,” he said.

Rain gardens are small depressions, often supporting native plants, in residential yards. These products of bioengineering are designed to collect, filter and infiltrate (absorb) stormwater, as well as offer an aesthetic improvement to a home.

Working at the residential scale has allowed him a more “localized” approach to understanding the potential of bioengineering in urban systems, according to Balster. The gardens connect citizens to their land and water use habits, hopefully preventing damage to the surrounding community. An effective rain garden can then be replicated throughout a community, increasing the sum total of their impact.

“Certain plants are going to provide different ecosystem services because of their morphology, physiology and interaction with the soil,” he said. Some plants encourage deep infiltration of groundwater, while others increase evapotranspiration back into the atmosphere, and if slow infiltration is the goal, there is a plant community for that as well.

The robust, deep roots of native prairie species pull water out of the soil structure and transpire it. In doing so, pore space in the soil becomes available for the next rain event, although different species do this to different effects, he has found.

Gardeners can achieve changes in hydrology by manipulating the plant species present in their rain garden. The soils and plants “are talking to one another” and constantly changing over time — changes Balster continues to ponder.

Engineering a path for water in an urban environment requires creativity and good predictive model-

9

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Balster Lab Rain Garden testing facility, located in Verona, Wisconsin. ing, Balster said. Engineers must understand how heavy rain events will interact with a system and where overflows will be buffered when the system is overwhelmed.

Even so, he said, “these are complex systems. Emergent properties are going to arise because there are variables we cannot predict or control.”

While the size of a stormwater sewer and pitch of a gutter system can be controlled for example, the size and frequency of rain events cannot. Rain gardens encourage adaptive management — a strategy aimed at improving management practices over time through new insights and human interaction.

“People tend to gloss over the word ‘garden’ in rain garden,” Balster said, noting that homeowners are regularly interacting with these systems, which can provide their tremendous aesthetic quality.

As opposed to a monoculture lawn, rain gardens help provide biophysical diversity to urban ecosystems, he said. The planting of native species in gardens can

attract pollinators, birds and animals. Preliminary evidence has also shown rain gardens to provide greater habitat for soil organisms including macrofauna, earthworms and insects.

What humans do to the environment has feedback on their quality of life, Balster said. Feedback can occur directly through flooding spaces and contaminating water bodies or indirectly through affecting recreational opportunities or not having sufficient water to grow plants.

Rather than distancing himself from the natural world and its dilemmas, Balster chooses to think of himself as part of the system and remain connected to the land. He believes this begins by approaching the world with reverence and curiosity.

“If I respect my role within the system, I am then naturally curious as to why things happen. That drives me to ask new questions and engage in understanding ways to more responsibly interact and adapt to change, which is guaranteed to come,” he said.

Hydration and health; Why water trumps other beverages

By Forrest Ziebell STAFF WRITER

Water is a strange player in global health in that it is necessary to live, but provides no real nutrients. Increasing water consumption is often touted as a method for improving health, yet most do not know why this is. Though we hear this advice frequently, few people follow it. Despite water’s documented benefits, research shows that a large portion of the U.S. is chronically dehydrated.

Hydration itself is simple. Avoiding dehydration is a biological goal, but few people want to quit soda for a flavorless alternative. Some of the main reasons people do not drink water are a lack of flavor or trust in available water sources as reasons for their choices. Fortunately, you do not need to drink plain old tap water to stay hydrated.

While water is made up of pure and simple water, other beverages have this necessary ingredient. Fruit juices, milk and soft drinks are generally around 90% water. In fact, Grandjean et al. reports that Americans get the majority of their water from other beverages or in foods rather than pure H2O. The role of water is vital for effective bodily function.

Grandjean et. al discusses how water regulates temperature, heart rate, appetite, and even prevents heat stroke or organ failure, which can occur at extreme levels of dehydration. Pure water is believed to be the best hydrator, but it is not the only beverage that is useful for optimal function.

Drinking water provides quality hydration, but research shows the source of water really does not matter. Other than diuretics such as alcohol or coffee which cause frequent urination and slightly lower hydration, most beverages impact hydration (but not overall health) in the same way. To discount claims against these diuretic beverages further, it seems that frequent caffeine consumers develop a tolerance to it, eliminat-

ing its diuretic impact.

As it seems, it is not what water contains that makes it most beneficial for health, rather what it does not. Miller et al. report that sugar laced drinks — whether naturally occurring or added — can be damaging to our health. They carry extra calories in the form of sugars and have been linked to fruit decay and cardiovascular issues (even 100 percent fruit juice).

Those choosing diet options as a “healthy” alternative are in

JEFF MILLER/UW-MADISON

Two Wisconsin Badger water bottles and iced drink in class. for bad news too. Yang (2010) reports that drinks with artificial sweeteners have been linked to increased weight compared to sugar-sweetened drinks. This is due to sugar being treated as a recognizable component of food. When artificial sweeteners are consumed, the body does not register it as a source of energy in the form of calories, so food consumption rises.

The prevalence of artificially sweetened beverages is likely to grow in the near future. As food technology advances, there are consistently new products on the shelves. Beverage companies are trying to find their foothold in the U.S. market that has been drifting away from soft drinks, with per capita consumption dropping since the early 2000s. While these drinks do not need to be eliminated, they should be limited.

Tracking fluid intake and monitoring caloric intake go hand in hand. The two goals of water consumption are to remain hydrated and to avoid adverse health outcomes. Choosing water over other beverages removes sugar calories from the diet and helps you stay full.

Fluid needs for the average person are not well defined, so it is difficult to know if you are drinking enough. The main problem with water recommendations is that they are not one size fits all. An adequate water intake is one that replenishes water loss. UW Health advises drinking six to eight 8-ounce glasses daily as an average recommendation to fit this estimate, but this value varies based on activity level, gender and many other factors.

Unlike many cases in nutrition, consuming more water is better. Asimple way to track your hydration level is by examining your urine: the lighter the color, the better hydrated you are.

The key to hydration is not what you drink, but rather what you do not drink. Drinking all of your daily recommended fluid ounces of water in Coke will keep you hydrated, but your health will suffer. Water is key to both keeping you hydrated and keeping sugar and calorie intake low. Consuming water in amounts that keep you from thirst and prevent your body from poor functioning is ideal. We know water is critical for maintaining optimal health, so swapping it for your favorite sweetened drink can make a notable difference in energy levels and body weight in the long run.